Standing unobtrusively against his car door, undeniably handsome with his blue long sleeves and slacks, he could really melt every girl’s heart who sees him. His pair of chinky eyes hidden behind his sunglasses. He is simply, gorgeous.

Maya, seeing him like that made her heart flipped. He never fail to make her feel giddy even without doing anything.
As soon as Richard saw her, his lips crept up for a smile. He immediately approached her and kissed her on her cheek before opening the car door.
Silence followed not long after. Richard’s eyes were focused on the road while Maya quietly sat beside him, eyes fixed outside the window.
“Saan tayo pupunta?” She asked when she could no longer hold the silence.

“It’s a surprise. You’ll find out later.” He casted a glance at her before turning to the left of the road where their destination is.
~

“Wow.” She murmured completely in awe of the place as their car pulled in Sumida park.
More than the beautiful sight that the park has to offer, he is just so happy to be able to see Maya’s face with so much joy. “Mas maganda daw dito pag gabi, lights are lit up.” He informed her as he slowly went beside her holding her hand.

Maya didn’t bother to look at Richard, she is completely enjoying the place. The cherry blossom gives her so much joy, like a kid who first saw something pretty amazing. Lost in her own world, Maya walked in the park, enjoying the nature. The park stretches for a few hundred meters along both sides of Sumida River with views of the Tokyo Sky Tree. With few steps, she is so sure that she will enjoy the day.

For her, the place is as romantic as her mother and father’s romantic place. Well what makes it different for her is the cherry blossom and a number of people strolling. The place is really magical for her and maybe, it is because of her company. Yes, it sure is.
Every now and then, Maya would stop by and would look at the food stands all over the place with Richard following her and spoiling her with anything. She’s like a little kid who is so curious with everything which amused Richard. Oh how he loves this woman.
They are now enjoying the Cherry blossom viewing from boats cruising the river. How Richard wanted so bad to pull Maya to a corner and to have a talk with her, but seeing her face light up, her eyes glistening with joy, he decided to just do that later and would let her enjoy a little longer before having their serious talk. For all he wanted is for his Maya to be happy.
The sun is slowly dipping, allowing the darkness to take over. They sat quietly beside each other still in awe with the beauty of the place.

Neither of them talk. They are both lost with words to say. He missed her terribly, while she missed this time with him and yet, it reminds herself that this is just a fairy tale and will end soon. She knows well that she can never have his whole heart and she finds it unfair, so unfair that her whole heart is his and yet, she can only have a piece of his heart in return.
“Maya-” he started. It’s now or never, he thought
Slowly, she shifted her gaze to the man beside her. She knew that this is inevitable no matter how long she tried to avoid it.
“I went to Emman’s condo whenever I get a chance because I-” his voice faltered and her heart ached for him.
“Hindi mo na kailangan pa sabihin. Di ko din naman gusto malaman.” She cut him off not wanting to hear what she knows. He kept on asking Emman her whereabouts for the past few days she’s happy that he did, though she doesn’t want to hear it coming from him because the wall that she just build between them might collapse.
“Maya… Please. I miss you a lot. You know how much I love you, right?”
A pause. She was not contemplating, she knows that he does really love her but a part of her wanted more time, or maybe, she’s just tired of everything.
So then she thought that this opening up was everything she’d wanted but why did she still feel like her heart was barely breathing?
“Hindi lang siguro talaga sapat yung mahal natin yung isa’t isa. Ako talaga siguro yung may mali sa ngayon. Kahit ako, hindi ko maintindihan yung sarili ko eh.” She glanced at him trying to read his reaction. “Gusto ko muna ng time.”

Face scrunched up, he answered trying to control his temper. “Are you breaking up on me? Hindi pa ba sapat yung time na nagkalayo tayo? You just don’t know how hard it is for me. I don’t know where you are, I don’t know how you’re doing!” He can no longer hide the pain that he is feeling as his voice rises an octave higher.

“Please. Wag muna ngayon.” She almost pleaded. How she wanted so bad to hug him right now and to tell him that everything’s okay. But she knows herself, and she is not herself when she is with him. She can no longer give that selfless love and she wanted her own self back. Maya would like to fix herself and make sure that she’ll be able to accept the consequences of loving him with open arms.
A deafening silence ensued between them. The darkness now covering the whole park and the trees are now glowing as the trees are lighted.
It would really be a romantic place for the two people who are in love, but not for them. As they could both feel the tension rising in the air together with the cold breeze that lashes on their faces.
“Don’t you take it as a sign? I don’t know where you are, I was supposed to just have a meeting here but then we saw each other.” Maya remained quiet. Yes, indeed, she as well is taking it as a sign.
Receiving no response, Richard could only sob. All of those days without hearing her voice, ending with sleepless nights without seeing her, he almost lose his sanity! And just when he thought that they will be back together, that everything will be fine. That love will prevail. But then, reality strikes, love is really not enough, sometimes. So, is this goodbye?
Reaching for both of her hands, he was shaking as he tried to control his sobs. “Before, I was brave, really brave enough to face everyday knowing that I was sharing with you the same agony of waiting for days to pass just for us to see each other again, but this past few days, I was so scared because I don’t know if you are also feeling what I am feeling. Once again, I feel so alone…”
She had to admit there was hurt bubbling up inside of her because it was clear just how much he was hurting. He never saw him cry like that. She never saw such sadness in his eyes, well, the last time was when she saw him looking at Alex’s photo. That really hurts.

His head bowed down, he stood up and took few steps away from her. His feet are heavy as he continued to walk away. He is somehow waiting for her to stop him from walking away, but that did not happen. And his heart crushed into pieces yet, again.
~~

“Maya?” The voice on the other line said.
“Oh, bakit Eds?” She replied trying to control her sobs. No matter how she tried not to be affected with what transpired earlier, she as well, is deeply wounded.
“Eh kasi, we are here sa isang bar, you know naman the boy FAs…”
“Ah. Oo nga daw, inaaya nga nila ako. Kaso wala kasi ako sa mood eh.”

“Yes, and I think I just know why.”
~~

The cab pulled in a not so enormous bar about 30 minutes away from their hotel. People are going in and out of it with some people drunk. As she walks in, she quickly scanned the place. A number of people are having fun. Dancing with the roar of music while some are seated, drinking.

“Maya!” Eds tapped her shoulder when she saw her. Leaning in, almost shouting near her ear to over power the sounds. “Andun! Let’s go.” Eds pointed in a corner and lead her the way.
It was dark and noisy inside the bar but her eyes quickly recognize the man seated with empty bottles on top of the table and a not-so-empty bottle of beer at hand. From a far, you’ll be able to say that he is indeed, inebriated.
How her heart twinge in pain. She never wanted him to be like that. Never.
Without hesitation, Maya, with the help of Eds and a boy FA, easily lead Richard inside the cab. The smell of the alcohol is spreading inside the taxi. Richard is leaning on Maya’s shoulder in the backseat murmuring words that can’t be understood.

She’d looked into his eyes, had run her fingers across the harsh lines of his face, and knew how much he needed her. She is so guilty right now. She had cause this hurt in him.
Maya tried to unbutton his polo just to lessen the warmth that is spreading all over his body. This is the first time that she saw him like that. His gorgeous face is burning red because of alcohol.
She is trying to unbutton the first one when his two hands took a grip on her wrists.
“Ddo–n’t.” He stammered, eyes still closed.
“Para lang mapreskuhan ka ng konti. Tatanggalin ko lang kahit tatlong butones.” She calmly explained to him.

“No. Ma-ya will ge-t ma-d. I al-re-ady ha-ve a girlf-rieeeend.” He murmured, his grip is starting to loosen as sleep slowly catches him.

She was surprised to hear that from him. Her heart doubled up its beating. She is now accustomed to his smell as she leans in and kisses his forehead.

“I love you. Sorry.” It wasn’t what she planned to say, but she couldn’t hide from the truth of it.
~~

The sun was streaming into the windows as they held each other. He stirred and slowly opened his left eye. Blinking several times, he was astounded to see her beside him. All of the pain that he felt yesterday suddenly disappeared.
He moved closer, caressed her cheek with one of his hands.
Maya’s eyes flew open. She smiled at him ever lovingly, like all of those things that bugged her for days, all of those issues that she felt were thrown away.
His bright smile practically jumping through his lips. “Good morning!”

“Thank you. I love you.” Was all that he could say. Heck, how good it feels to be waking up beside your love.
“Hindi ba masakit yung ulo mo?” She asked, smile still plastered on her lips.

Oh how his head throbbed in pain, but he didn’t notice it right away. The love that flows in his heart is the most noticeable feeling to him right now. “Uhm.. Just a little.”

“Hangover yan, ikaw kasi ang dami mong ininom kagabi. Tara, baba tayo para makapagkape ka. Cr lang muna ako ha? Tulog pa naman si Eds.”
“Wait.” He pulled her making her fell on the bed again. “Please..let’s stay a few more minutes.” He pleaded. He doesn’t want this to end, not yet. No. Never.
“If this is just a dream, I don’t want to wake up. Not just yet. Let’s sleep some more please?”
Maya nodded and laid beside him again. Why did she ever wanted more? More time from him, more love from him? When you can never really measure someone’s love for you? She can never doubt his love for her, anyway. She knows too well that she is loved by this man.
~~

“Sorry.” Her eyes fixed on her own food as she started to talk.
Richard paused for a while as he wipes his mouth with a table napkin before answering her.
“For what?”
“Sa lahat.” She pouted.
“For not talking to me these past few days? For not telling me where you are? For not answering my calls, for-”
“Oo na! Lahat na nga eh.” She pouted once more which made Richard laugh.
He reached for her hand “It’s okay. Just please, don’t do this again. You just don’t know how hard it had been. I’m trying to keep myself busy but every time that my watch ticks, I am missing you more and ended up thinking of you.”
She nodded. How she thought that he’s not hurting the way that she is but again, she was wrong.
“Promise.” She raised her right hand in the air as a sign of a promise that she will definitely keep.

“And, uhm. By the way, I’ve arranged everything so that we can go back home together.” He added as he continued eating

“Ha? Teka, pero.. Kailan? Aalis na tayo?”

“I have a lot of things to do kasi pagbalik kaya we have to go back tomorrow.”
She almost choked. Tomorrow? Together? And then everything will go back to normal, he will be busy with work. But work is part of him that she should get used to and that she should love as well. Not just him, alone.
But she wanted to stay some more. Anyway, he will be busy for quite sometime and he couldn’t spend much of his time for her so she wanted to disagree. “Pero, since magiging busy ka, kasi nga di ba sabi mo, madami kang gagawin. Eh di tatapusin ko na muna yung flights ko. Kasi di ba, di din naman tayo makakapagspend ng time kagaya nito. Di ba mas okay na tapusin muna natin yung mga trabaho natin?” She explained lenghtly.
“Who said that I’ll be busy for work?”

“Ha? Eh kakasabi mo lang kaya!”
He grinned. “Nope. I can’t remember that I did. All I remember is that I said that madami akong gagawin.”

“Oh, yun nga! You’ll be busy.”

“But not with work.”
“Teka, eh saan naman?” She asked, confused.

“Sa’yo.” He smiled widely.
Her heart somersaulted. How this man knows how to melt her heart. She is now blushing profusely which made Richard chuckle. “Naman Sir Chief eh!”
“What? I am telling the truth here. Pagbalik natin, we’ll be busy. We’ll be telling the kids about us.”
“Ha?” She doesn’t saw it coming. Not just now. She is fearing that day.
Sensing her discomfort and fear, she calmly talked to her “Look at me, it will be okay. As long as we’re together. Walang iwanan okay? We need to tell them because not long after we should let them now our plans of getting married.”
“Ha? OUR plan?” She answered in shock
“Yes. Di ba I told you na magiging busy ako? After what happened. After you, totally ignoring me and all, I cannot let you go. Not again!” He smiled, proud with his whole idea.
“So, ganun na lang yun? Wala man lang proposal?”
“Is that necessary?”
“Oo naman no! How sure are you na gusto kitang pakasalan?” She crossed her arms, a serious look on her face
Now, Richard’s face had lost its color. He is hurt. Will she say no? “Why? A-ayaw mo ba akong pakasalan?”

Oh how she wanted to laugh at his reaction! She knows that this is what she wanted for a long time. For her heart never to doubt, she surely wanted this. But of course, every girl would love to have a romantic marriage proposal. She really hates how guys could sometimes be unromantic.

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